What happens in Tucson stays in Las Vegas

PREVIEW OF THE 109th ANNUAL DUAL IN THE DESERT
Mikes Stoops desperately needs Las Vegas.
Not to gamble his money away, not to renew his wedding vows, and not to cry in his beer over hard economic times.
Mike Stoops needs Las Vegas to restore confidence in not only himself or for the team, but for the long suffering fan base, which has continually dwindled the past few seasons.
In order to get to Las Vegas, the Wildcat must drive the steak through the Sun Devil's heart today, push them out of the bowl stage, and win back the Territorial Cup. Winning sends Arizona to the Las Vegas Bowl. Fail, and the Cats let the hated Sun Devils into a bowl, push Arizona to the last place bowl game given to the Pac-10.
A bit of recent history- Arizona has dropped three straight to ASU, and the Sun Devils are riding a three game win streak down I-10 for today's showdown, momentum oozing out of Tempe.
The road to Las Vegas never looked so tough. But for the sake of Wildcat football, and Stoops' livelihood, this might be the biggest game Tucson has seen in a long time.
In Stoops' five year stint as head coach has been tumultuous, fielding good teams, but unable to put the pieces together. In this day and age, Stoops' grace period is long finished with, and results are needed.
Losing to rival Arizona State three times in a row, something that has not happened since the mid-60's early 70's. And for the past three years, the Wildcats have found themselves within one game of beating their hated opponent and heading to a bowl game.
Every year for Stoops, the result has been much of the same, with the post game analysis of, "we will get them next year."
Next year is now for the Stoops. After being promised not just a team but a program, fans are losing faith in the former defensive coach from Oklahoma, once a top pick from brother Bob Stoops' top ranked Sooners.
Once a top head coaching prospect, (some said he would bolt for the NFL after one good season with the Wildcats) Stoops is the most loved coach of all Pac-10 schools.
The thinking is, "as long as Stoops remains at Arizona, all we have to do is keep the score close. Stoops has yet to learn from his critical late-game mistakes."
These mistakes have cost the Wildcats too many close ones over the last few years, and made the coach a perennial visitor on the preseason "Hot Seat" list. Fortunately for Stoops, much of the attention is off of him due to the recent coaching vacancy at McKale Center.
The frosting is now gone for the Cats' cupcake season. It has taken one too many licks this year, and Arizona coaches are scrambling to find some way to hold on to the remnants of a once promising debut to the national stage.
The season has not gone as planned for Stoops and company, and though the Wildcats will be headed for a bowl after today's game win or lose, falling to ASU again could spell doom for Stoop's coaching career at Arizona. To give the Devils an opportunity to go bowling would pain the fan base, and destroy any credibility towards the team turning the corner.
The Wildcats need to beat the Sun Devils today, not only for bragging rights, but to snub the Devils of a bowl, which ASU has done to the Cats for far too long now.
The Wildcats need to beat Arizona State to win in-state recruiting battles, and push themselves to a national level in the recruiting race.
The Wildcats need to win back the hearts of fans, and give them something other than blind hope to look forward to.
And most of all, Mike Stoops desperately needs a confidence booster for his waining coaching career.

An all too common face for Stoops in his five years as coach. -Photo courtesy of ESPN

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